Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

FITZGERALD ENTERPRISE FITZGERALD, GA In British India no one can carry warlike weapons without a license, aud u Jaw of this'kind would be desirable in many States of the Union. Deprive the Italian of his stiletto and he would become a peaceful citizen. It is said (lie Tilden-Astor-Lenox Library of New York, when opened, will contain 450,000 volumes. This will be a most excellent showing, Tin Public Library, an old institution, ... . , lias only , 668,736 ,,„ a volumes, , The past summer there occurred in Germany, according to the New York Independent, on an average over one ac.i ident on tho railways a day; and it is conceded that want of proper ma¬ chinery and the needful number ol hands is to blame for the catastrophes. In England every prisoner is guar¬ anteed the right “to communicate wit?» hi a solicitor before trial.” A nuut recently arrested in London for a felony can neither read nor write nn«i is dumb. Can lie be convicted legally? asks the Chicago Tiiues Bet aid. A country school ma’am, who teaches northeast of Emporia, Kan., has adopted a novel method to living her literary productions before the public. She writes her own poetry aod. compels thopoor children to recite it before tho school. The trustees do not know anything about it. ~ Captain William Rogers, in a letter to the Now York Herald, shows how lamentably weak is the American mer flhant marine. It includes only nine¬ ty seven ships less than twenty-three years old, with a tonnage of 171,020. The United Kingdom is 1896 alone added 363 steamers and sixty-nine ships, with a tonnage of 2,797,764, to Uei great fleet. - f Not the least interesting feature of ' Germany , s seizure . of , Kiao-yhau is that that spot had been selected bvthe Chinese , „ Government /i , , . ■/ own use ar, a fortified port and /naval station That was the first,'recommendation made by Li HuiWohang on his return home, aud it i/by no means improba t J 1 me mat it that fact that prompted , Germany —j U, seize the place. Tin. English sparrow *is disappear¬ ing trom Now York. In places that ■ used to sec and hear much more of j thin noisy bird than was compatible ; with peace of mind, there is now no aigii of him. He has either moved or been served to gourmands as a reed bird li is about twenty-five years since the English sparrow was brought to New York to kill the worms that living on webs from the ail an thus,shade trees and caught in the hats or cloth¬ ing of passers-by. He did that job well, but he multiplied so fast, that he became a nuisunoe, not only in New York, but in most other Eastern cities ami villages, where, among other sins, ho is held accountable for the retreat of garden songbirds into the fields and woods. Hence a good riddance for ; his going. Tile almost incredible story that comes from Washington about the finding of a large amount of money, in coin, bills, orders and notes, iu the desks aud drawers formerly used by OougreBC Librarian Spofford, every¬ body will hope to be true who knew or hud dealings with that long-term official, now retired in disgrace from the place he occupied so many years, observes the Chicago Record, “The discovery of this money, if indeed the account be a true one, is less surpris ingjihan was the charge of defalcation under which he left his old office. We could all more easily believe that the old gentleman was absent-minded than that he was intentionally a de¬ faulter. At the time his accounts wore ’found to be short there was a surprise and sympathy, but no idea that Ue could have merely misplaced missing valuable papers. He simply eoold not produce them, and he was put out aud forgotten. Everybody wondered but nobody upbraided; they wore all too astonished for that. Aud now they find thousands of dollars in those old desks aud drawers, the mis¬ cellaneous receipts of twenty-seven years! The fees for copyrights of a generation, which he had acknowledged to have received, but which he had never credited on his books, are said to I*, there. It is au extraordinary story of senility aud carelessness. It is to be hoped that all the circum¬ stances will clear the reputation of this old man, of whom all the world thought so well. He can afford to be charged with want of carefulness, but o>ot with want of honesty. ” LOVE AND HIS SHADOW. BY ROSE HAWTHORNE LATHROP. CHAPTER III. The next morning Prescott, postofUoe, prepared lo start for the village at usua 1 , to get his mail. Ho was just go lng to admonish Nina to keep within dooSH unt.l he should have made a few inquiries which, it was to bo hoped, might dh ulgo that Grenfell had left, the vivinlty, when his wife peremptorily re fused to have him drive over the lonely road without her. “Good gracious, you don't expect me to slay at home,like a rabbit in a hole! exclaimed Prescott. “I only know that I consider it nn safe lor she you to go on so lonely a road, yet, ” said. “Well, i must snap my lingers at the fancy,” replied Prescott, “t'nless I sally forth, we can never know any thing more about that extraordinary visitation of last evening. But I should like you to bo a little cautious, your self. Keep the lower doors and win (lows locked. If there is to be an inter view between you and thin mud young sculptor, I should prefer to bo present.” “I hope I shull not have to meet him," “At all events we will not get fright¬ ened," J’roscott cheerfully responded. “ Vou remember we made up our minds that nothing should alarm us in this remote corner of loneliness, and we must not weaken In our resolution. There’s the other pistol, on your entry table. An unpleasant thought, lived perhaps; but the Puritans who once around hero went to church with their guns, which w;is a worse severity?” Ho guy ly waved his hand, and drove off. Nina complied with all he said, but her eyes and lips had grown, over night, very sad. When L’resoott came hack from the village he brought a letter for his wife from Mrs. Mlnslng Bentley, who occo-? Bionally wrote city gossip, and sujoas tic comments upon up-country ..facili¬ ties. r By this mail sho explained that she hoped her letter would i‘„Ach Nina be¬ fore Fleet Grenfell did‘ so. Sho said that ho was a cousin yf hers, although she had never made .anything of the re¬ lationship till of late, when he had leaped into wojrtd-wido fame with his “Joan of A>'e," After arriving from abroad lie In ad dropped in to see nor; and he h.«,d caught sight of the large cloak^.booking photograph of Nina (in the white opera so exactly like a statue. thls ocsta(! y WftH changed to evi d/Ont agony upon his learning that Nina married. It was all very queer to Mrs. Minsing Bentley that he should i n,me d* a tely ox-press his intention of going to Hitter s Lodge. However, ho had promised to try to persuade the rres oUs bauk to town for the holidays. Still, why on earth did Fleet “want to travel so far into the country side to see girl (no matter how beautiful she ^Sied-a^d^ote?^ 113 d0ad “' 0r rath01 ’ “So it was not a ghost!” muttered rrescott, stroking his chin, as his wife finished reading the letter to him. “But, on the other hand, no one has seen or hoard anything, as far as I could make out by judicious inquiry, of n stranger in the village. I am tasting the difficult ties,” he added, laughing with an ad¬ miring plan o, “of having espoused you. Marvel.” “When no comes again,” she said, thoughtfully, “he will be more respect¬ ful; and I am sure we can persuade him into being rational; even friendly.” That evening a horse's canter was heard approaching from a long distance over the frost-hardened road. It ceased noar (he farmhouse; but no one asked admittance. A dark night, wilh fine snow just beginning to fail, was a bar¬ rier (o Prescott’s gaze as ho looked out to see what ho could see, and hoping to hear some retreating hoof-heats; though he was disappointed in this. “He must be about here.” the young husband confided to his wife, on with¬ drawing (o tho cheerful parlor. “Perhaps wayfarer,” it was only she said. a peddler or some such "If we did not hear the horse pass on, It may he that ho wont upon the turf.” "I give you my word, I can hardly think of anything else besides this man!" l’rescott growled, in disgust. Nina became chess-board, pallid. But she their brought out tho and two young faces soon grew radiant over tlioir eagerness to win, and yet not to lot each other lose. They played until quite lale, and before retiring stood over the sunset lights of their heart fire, in the leisurely xvay of two crea¬ tures left well alone to love. A log foil apart with a ta nt crashing sound. “Did you hoar that? suddenly ex¬ claimed Nina. “Yes; it was a distinct utterance, ns the log broke to pieces, as if some one bad cried, ‘No!’ ” "Beneath us?” “Yes.” “Tom, we are growing horribly nerv¬ ous!” “I believe wo are. It must have been imagination. Como, lot us put it all aside, this instant and iorever!” Plump had crept into the cellar, while Miflln dozed with her back against the wall, having fallen accidentally asleep in the warm kitchen. There was a par¬ ticular spot in the cellar, dark and un promising as the pla;« otherwise showed iorth, which Plump-raced, lie had no fear of anything when lie \vm on his way to this spot. His candle never flickered or trembled as he shaded It with one palm, while he penetrated the dark shadows of the collar on those for¬ tunate, unwitting nights when Miffin', eyes disappeared behind her black face drowsily. The old neuro patted along half smiling, picking his footsteps wi r eyes t ent upon the ground. A fragran < smote his grotesque no-trils and h raised his glad gaze. Then he buio down in terror, as if he were bur¬ dened with a ton s weight upon h shoulders. Sitting upon a keg of win was a young mau who smiled, with raised eyebrows, and quaffed a deep from tho contents of a bottle ol old port, which he had taken off of an adjacent shelf, and held, empty, over his knee. He drank from a mug with Plump had supposed was undisoover ably hidden in a Cranny of tl» cellar wait. “Massa! massa!” mumbled Plum “we got burglars, sliu’ ’nut!!’’ “Don’t call your ‘massa,’ ” the parition “I’m retorted, in a low, the penetrating voice. only one of devils, ii you let me alone, I will not throttl. you. The negro began to retreat bj. ward. I “Stop that," said tho youth. “Massa will as' you to corno up stairs," .’lump averrod, with u nauseat j n g excess of manner and sweetness, still making his escape In a surrcptl tious way. “1 toll massa a nice young able-'* trabbler popped in—so very companion , “No!" the other cried, slipping from tho kog and springing upon Plump. “II ! you say a word,” he went on, In a cleat whisper, "I will kill every one of you! I should like nothing better, and am only sitting here for a quiet drink, out of the kindness of my heart." “I won' say a word, young gemman; I won’ tell, I won’ tell!" “Then go. I keep my promises, and you shall keep this one of yours, sinco it is made to me.” The stranger fixed . Iff / -1 I —J'* -1—IA-LJ— j fli | LI I 0~"T —L — 5 j 1 eft ■"s d a l d iJ I 7, // “WE (JOT BURGLARS, SHU NCFII” his eyes upon tne negro’s rolling orbs, and caught them with a fierce, scornful glance. Plump gave up all volition to the young man who stood over him. He doted on the lordly fellow’s power ol will, although he believed his own life hung on a turn of the vise-like hand. The next day was one of deepest snowing. The world was snow up to a mile overhead. All voices of men and sounds of all sorts—there happened to bo more passing than was customary— seemed to ride in a closely walled room; but what a room! The atmos¬ phere was as stimulating as youth it¬ self, and as free from poison as the breath of angels. The rustling of the falling snow' shivered like aspen leaves hoard in the dream of a seraph. Pres¬ cott and h s wife had thrown off all care, and were soon intoxicated with tin elixir of ihe breeze at the open win (lows. They dressed themselves for ; bout In tho lovely storm, and rollec over in tho snow and ate of it, and hugged it to their bosoms and finally sat enthroned in it while Prescott gave sonic experiences of his trip to Russia. It was as pure and beautiful to examino as our dearest illusions. The cheeks of the young lovers became rosy with the rose that shines Anyvr-Po^r- in vapor, which is so clear and light. 'it was, would have been nettled by the perfect bliss which this couple drank in so impetuously without a thought or a look for a third person. At evening the storm ceased. The stars flickered and gazed in the heavens. The moon came up nobly and lar-seeing, like a saint’s soul. The young people leaned on their window¬ sill and looked around and up. Slowly a dark figure moved toward their old house, along a lane ending in the main-road before their door; stop¬ ping every moment or two, and then moving nearer, sadly, then stopping. What elouuence there was in the slow [dunging over bdSad the uneven, snowy i ound of the shoulders, and in the slight upward tilt of the head, as if hopiessly looking. “Who Is it?" Prescott said, wonder¬ ing, but carelessly. His wife’s hand pressed his shoulder, and she murmur¬ ed: “Hush-sh! The snow carries voices a long way!” “I will go and speak to him” Prescott answered, quickly understanding that Nina thought it was Grenfell. He draw himself buck into the room. “Oh. no'” “My dear,” the young husband de¬ clared, “something must bo done.” “Then I will go, too, and speak with him,” Nina answered. “I will not let you go without me. * “It might be very woll for you to go,’ admitted Prescott, “He will have seen you, for one thing, and nothing will be left for him to do.” In a few moments they ran out into the keen, fine air. They walked up and down and about, but saw no one. “Are you sure it was he?” asked Pres¬ cott. “I know it wash#,” Nina replied, very sadly. That right she wept floods of toars. CHAPTER IV. At breakfast her husband grumbled at her pale cheeks, for he was greatly worried. “We must leave this place at once,” ho concluded. “That wretched Gren fell is probably safe in New York again by this time. But we shall fancy he is iu the vicinity for weeks, and guess him to be at the bottom of every footfall and shadow. Let us good-naturedly give up our hobby away.* of getting rich by solitude and go Nina held her head proudly, and her lips looked stern. *1 could not bear to be driven away or otherwise controlled by that man,” she angrily cried. “But I don’t believe he is here. It is I who shall control you, believe me.” “Well, Tom, don’t ask me to go away. We are happy hare. We can forget Grenfell. But in town all my old ac¬ quaintances would tell me I could not live on our income, nor in humble quar¬ ters, nor expect them to invite us to grand dinner parties; peace! and yet they would not let us hide In It will be much better next year, and we shall tell fins things of a Massachusetts win¬ ter and our occupations in it. ” “It is delicious, this leisurely quiet,” sighed Prescott. There was a step upon the piazza be side the breakfast-room; another, an¬ other, and a man looked In upon them. It was Grenfell. He stood defiantly, with his hands in his pockets. He had assumed a pictur¬ esque position, with that vivid sense ol the tragic and the romantic which make* up the life of some young persons o Intense Individuality, who are conscious every moment of their good looks, their exactions from life, but never of theli conscience. Im; ertlnent feet. ass!" cried l’rescott, starting to his Grenfell pulled off his soft felt hat and bowed to Nina, with ever so much reproach. essayed but foil back Xina to rise, in a i'alnt. Prescott had at that Instant raised the window, aud Grenfell rapidly thrust himself over the sill and sprang tc Nina’s side, and lifted her up as she was falling to the floor. Her husband sprinkled himself water on her her face. crushed How white he was to sec so by tho presence of this man. "She must not see you,” ho said to Grenfell, in a sad, cold voice. “Doyouihink it would harm her?” the other answered, with deep, sweet tones. • Nlna revived and looked into Gren fell’s eyes as lie knelt beside her chair with his hands on her arm supportingly, In a moment she was herself. “It is tho first time I over fainted, and it was not much!" she said, with a smile and a pleasant posture of her head. “I hardly know whether you ware a vision or not, Mr. Grenfell. Oh, I am quite strong again, Tom, thank you, dearest,” she udded, with a loving glance as he held a glass of water for her to drink. Grenfell stood up before the window and looked at her, Booming a dark por ten*. It was plain that Nina tried to steady her tones as she went on to say: “Mr. Grenfell, this is Mr. Prescott, my husband. Tom, Mr. Grenfell must lie seated and break bread with us for go id-fellowship. The young man still stared at^her, motionless. He was a specimen o! (lawless masculine beauty, with the in dividuality of face which gives satis faction. But Nina only wondered that his aspect and personality had ever at all enthralled her. Her really pone trating study of faces as an artist of no small talent had taught her the types which have strength of soul, and those which have only strength of nature; and what had once struck her as vital merit now appeared to be the coarse husks enwrapping a divine vitality, which in many young people, as In Grenfell, Is undeveloped. But how subtly this young genius veiled his or dinary characteristics by the graces of earnestness. How elaborate his pag cantj^ of materiality was, so that you might have imagined a glance of his eye was worth a thousand years of spiritual death. ' Wa9 your husband, said Cr reared. , “I never assured you of it; I always denied it,” Nina quietly replied. “Yet I admit that I thought it possible. Come, Fleet Grenfell; sit down. I have something to say t to you „ Hl She mo Boned him to a chair with dignity and unflinching gaze. It is very true that I a mired many things in you, and I I I had had not not then then ISt met mj h^shand^if husband. It ™ you knew him at all well, you would not wonder that I chose him in preference to y° u * GrenfeU s lips parted in suffering „ . at tina blow, and he glanced fiercely at iQ T fir t „v 1 tew J a man looked in upon the.v. Prescott, whose face was suddenly lighted by reassurance. “You are false, of course,” the young sculptor muttered, and proceeded in a louder but hoarser tone: “A beautiful girl who does not use tier power fears to make herself a very commonplace wo¬ man. l)o I not know, through you, how all that is?” "Mr. Grenfell,” interposed Prescott, “I am billing to have another madcapi wrestle with you, but we had better leave my wife’s presence for that, and you had better hold your tongue.” "I shall be the one to say tho last worn you will hear,” Grenfell coolly re¬ plied. “Oh, no, you won’t,” Nina said. She started up and took one of Grenfell’s hands in both of hers, and commanded: “Be decent and kind.” If she had not been sincere herself she could have done nothing with him. His unleashed animal nature was held in check by her spiritual nature, so vastly superior. Grenfell was surprised that he did not clasp her in his arms, but he could not have done it. A woman knows how to disenchant a fer¬ vor she does not wish to excite. By her eyes lie could see that she was not thinking wholly of him. He dreaded their calm, and lie hated it, for it was the table. The door opened, and Miflln came in. behind a plate of hoe-enke. She "’as evidently galvanized at the unex ) eeted sight of the stranger, and went through vnri< us feats of motion without dropping any of the contents of the plate; and not a sound escaped her mammoth lips, it seemed as if her eyes would do the who shouting. But she came of ancestors had not: murmured un¬ der the lash. She made a grotesque long reach for the table with her shin ng black stick of an arm, and shoved the plate onto it, staring at Grenfell. He was quite worth a pro¬ tracted inspection. Hor young mistress directed her to fetch a cup for th guest, and then Miflin let her ga <■ glide toward Nina. All at once the whites of her eyes dazzled about her like lightning and she was gone. “Millin is one of our amusements,” Nina said. “Tom is giving you some of our Southern dish of chicken. Tom is a Southerner, although we are living just now in a mimic Iceland.” “Yes, an Iceland,” Grenfell echoed, leaning back in his chair as lightly as if he might spring to the window in the next breath. Still, Nina’s face wore the look of one who has become convinced of some¬ thing higher and This better look and stronger than humanity was detesta ble to his animal selfishness. If it would only melt into the enthralling, girlish subtlety again! It iet tho cold air of .endless reaches of sacrifice in upon his tender desires, ir he had kissed her hand, or even her lips, she would have been uninterested. But she looked proi'oundly content. He was so entirely outside her needs that she re purded his love as a disease of the soul! Above all, the girl whom he had adored he was beginning to venerate. He loathed the cold wave that was curling over him, the change that was being wrought in him. Lot him etuy, he silently begged of her spirit, in the warmer colors lights of a lower horizon, where the were the ruby of hope and the gold of gain. He found that she was handing him a cup of fragrant coffee and smiling, both gently and commandingly, Into ills eyes, He roused himself, took the cup in un unsteady hand and sot it down at ran - dom. Revolt touched a flaming ey ark to his brain and he was lost, “It must seem unaccountable to you," he said, “that I am not able to lind suf flolent delight in my art to enable me to bear the loss of a woman of mere per lshable flesh. I know how It urn.ally love'my is with a great artist; and I do art as I love myself, as I love this right hand of genius. And have I not that perfect marble portrait ol you, which I made when you thought of me as a friend, Nina,” he went on, smiling gently into her face, *‘whi< h is a bit of art enough to take the love of anv man. It is constantly before my eyes, but I am not satisfied. ” He drew a revolver trom his pocket and held it on one knee, Nina sprang up, her husband rose calm ly. Grenfell remained sitting, study ing first one and then the other of these young people who were so good to the sight. “A dozen timos in my wander ings I have spared the lives of thieves and cut-throats, at some risk of my own safety. Surely I may kill a man at my choice who has stolen all 1 cared for.’’ Nina looked at Prescott, wondering that he did not pullout his pistol, which he was in the habit of carrying about him. Ho answered the message of her oyes by directing his glance to the man tel shelf behind her, aud she realized that he must have laid his pistol there by accident. If she handed it to him, if he stopped toward tho mantel him self to take it, the delay would be too great, and would not Grenfell at once tire? Prescott’s face was resigned. He saw the deadlock, and hoped for no resoue. “I have kept myself very close while coming here and haunting your pre clncts ,” Glenfell proceeded. “No one w ll! trace me. The Bentleys are the only persons who know I came, and they are not t j ie p eop j e p 0 tell that tliev have a Kobin Hood in their fam ily. Moreover, I am not afraid to kill. ” He rose and leveled the revolver at Prescott, who looked at him with noble “I sprang to the mantel like a bird for swiftness, and caught up the pistol which lav there, and held it to her temple. Grenfell called aghast, to her, in in ? ohermlt words of a PP eal and love > and her husband in a moment was at her to seize the wennnn trom her hard But she had lowered rt of her own no cord, and stepped forward. “My friend,” she said to Grenfell,’’the right hand of genius has never yet com mitted murder.” He started, in spite of himself. She stepped still nearer to him. I'or art is a way to God! rested the table. “What is God to me?" he sneered. •You ass ot gui_iue,” !--a oried, “cun all perceive Him. You, Fleet, can per ceive Him even through me If there is anything fine in my life which arouses your admiration (so hard to win); if there is in my character anything blameless which has honestly touched your devotion, I owe it to God! Then is He not our friend?” She spoke tenderly, but with emphasis. “You. who arc so keen to adore creative power,—are you insensible to a power which is creative genius? You have overlooked the one who chose you from millions of your countrymen to do art the highest honor. You have over¬ looked the Supreme Artist!” A quieter light came into Grenfell’s eyes, but he answered again: “Oh, Nina, what is your God to me?” “Your guardian." she said. She laid the pistol (Frescott stood near her to intercept any seconi. attempt at suicide) upon the table before Grenfell. “You saw how easily I could have destroyed myself, and made the crime you con¬ templated a useless one. But that would have been beneath me, and my action was only intended to stop that of yours. What I really wished to do a moment ago, Fleet Grenfell, was to shoot you dead in my husband’s de¬ fense. Each movement that I was eager to make was before me like a picture, and my aim would have been true. God forbade it ” “What? me! you would have killed me?” he cried, shuddering. Suddenly he flashed a look at her. “It was love, not the power of God--” he could not go on. He saw that sho had disarmed herself; that she and Prescott had given up all thought of violent resistance. In whom did she trust? He turned away from them both, as if to be alone in his agony. But the light a | > y in mm £ X M' 'A \ i\\ ! u i 9 'ey GRENFELL CALLED TO HER, which blesses had Bhone full upon him. lie turned back, not looking up. “Oh, man,” he said to Prescott, “can she lead you to forgive a wretch like me?” A hand, strong but kind, grasped his. In the stillness of the glance which the two men exchanged there came through tho open window and the sunshine, from a long forgotten room shaded by the elm, a strain from an ?Eolian harp. iTHE END. | Copyright, 18OT. Concerning telephones and hiah rat es, ’ people will be satisfied to .P get the ,1,. matter _n al right in the ear: they “ on t want it continually in the neck, *—Philade phia Times. « WISE WORDS. The lottery of honest labor, drawn by time, is the only one whose prizes tie worth taking up ami carrying Lome, Hearts rT may 1 be „ attracted i, by r ass assumed qualities, but the affections can omy be fixed and regained by those tha^ are real. D Tf J on bar* have Built built castles caet in the air, your work need not be lost, ttint where they should be. Now put foundations under them, From this life, as from dungeon bars, we look to the skies, and are re¬ freshed with sweet visions of the home that shall be ours when we are free. How much to be prized and esteemed is a friend, cu whom we can always with safety depend. Ottr joys, when intended, will always increase, and griefs, when divided, are hushed into peace. Let us be content to do little, if God sets us at little tasks, It is but pride aud self will which says, “Give mo something huge to light, and I should enjoy that; but why make me sweep the dust?” What comfort, what strength, what economy there is in order,—material order, intellectual order, moral order! Order means light and peace, inward liberty, and free command over one’s self. Order is power. We cannot exalt patriotism too highly. We cannot encourage too .. much love of country. For as long as patriotism exists in the hearts of the American people so long will our matchless institutions be secure and permanent. PSThefshortest with and surest way to be live in honor in the world, is to reality what we would appear to be; and if we observe, we shall find, that all human virtues increase and strength¬ en themselves them. by the ^practice and experience of Courtship Among; the Boers. Courting among the Boers is a novel proceeding. A young man, having, of course, asked permission of his father to court the hand and heart of some neighboring damsel—by neighboring we mean anywhere within fifty miles— proceeds to purchase the most loudly colored and decorated saddle-cloth for his horse that he can possibly find. He will spend large sums of money on tWs ° f f*™ 110 a ? ornment ' anA one kuowin S the <?<™ntry can nevsr mistake a young Boer going out court ing. Mounted on his most spirited steed, he approaches the house of the father of the lady lover. Unlike the V ontli of ()I more more civilized Civilized life ute, he ue avoids avoids tU ® laAy , anA se ^ 3 h er father, Horn whom lie reverently asks . permission to court his daughter. The old man re¬ turns no answer, but consults his vrou, and the youth joins the young folks, No mo re notice of him is taken during the day, but if his request be agree *“? retiring .*» P™‘». the mother solemnly <? comes approaches the young man and maiden with a long tallow candle in he? Land, This she places on the table, lights and, bidding the couple an affectionate °. good-night retires e ' This ls is .f. « 81jent silent signal , to the lover , that his suit is suc cessful. The young couple are per mitted to sit up in the kitchen so long as the candle lasts, when the lady re tires to the one dormitory of herself and sisters, and the youth J shares the b i.„,i 0 d of the brotners or male portion of , the family.—New York Ledger, •- Curiosity of Monkeys. Curiosity seems to be the great failure, or virtue, of moneys. A story is told of an Englishman who had a South African monkey which had trav¬ eled with him around the world. When his bacholor days were over he took his young wife to a lovely old manor house in the south of England, and, Euglishm anlike, kept several barrels of good “home-brewed” ale in the cellar. On returning from church on Sunday morning he noticed that the cellar door was open, and started on a tour of investigation. As he went down the steps Jenny, the monkey, rushed up, and he found that she had set all the spigots running. The door had been inadvertently left open, and Jenny, doubtless, went prying into the semi-lighted place. Turning one spigot on produced such a rushing stream that she tried the others also, much to the waste of the liquor. It may be added that when the Englishman’s first born appeared and monopolized attention Jenny got such a fit of jealousy that she was at once sent to the secluded but more congenial society to be found inljthe monkey house of the London Zoological Gardens. Oil Gun For Use iu Storms. The efficacy of the use of the oil bag in calming the waves in the immediate vicinity of a ship at sea has been abundantly proved. In many cases of exceptionally stormy weather, how¬ ever, the area affected by the oil as ordinarily used has been found in¬ sufficient to give the ship the protec¬ tion from the force of the waves that was desirable. It is now proposed to discharge the oil at such a distance that a wide circle of smooth surface will be created in which the ship can ride in safety until the storm has spent its fury. This plan involves the shooting of saturated sponges*or cot¬ ton from a pneumatic gun, which is considered preferable to a powder gun as obviating the danger of igniting the oil-soaked sponge. The idea is re¬ garded with favor in shipping circles, and it is understood than an applica tion has been made to Congress for an appropriation to test its efficiency. The Loyalty of Ants. In order to test the loyalty of ants to each other Sir Tohn Lubbock once made fifty of them drunk and incapa¬ ble, and then drew the attention of twenty-five sober ones to their condi¬ tion. The twenty-five buckled to it, aad carried the fifty home to bed.